Construction

ODOT records show freeway ramp has been cracking for years

For the past 13 years, crews have repeatedly sealed stubborn cracking in the ramp connecting I-5 and Oregon 217.

By JOSEPH ROSEThe Oregonian

TIGARD, Ore. — In recent weeks, a deluge of crashes on Oregon 217's massive “flyover” ramp in Tigard has frozen traffic and raised safety concerns. But state records show serious worries about the massive freeway structure are nothing new.

According to Oregon Department of Transportation maintenance and inspection records obtained by The Oregonian, the steep, curvy ramp connecting northbound Interstate 5 to Oregon 217 has been slowly shifting apart at a deck seam since it opened in 2001.